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• February 17, 1998

  Party Entrepreneurs Are Game to Offer Something to Die For By Vikki Ortiz of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin February 17, 1998

  Monte and Barbara Cady know how to throw a killer party. They give their friends a Hawaiian holiday and make them change their names. Then, just when they start getting comfortable, they. re told to accuse each other of murder. "I think it's Lon," one guest suspects, looking over at a smirked faced man across the room. "I'm sure it's Pearl," another guest concludes, laying out the character's earlier actions like pieces of a puzzle. Proudly, the Cadys watch their guests continue to bicker. They've pulled off another successful mystery role-playing party. For the past 10 years, the Cadys have written and thrown almost 25 mystery role-playing parties. The parties, which usually include 10 friends and take two hours to perform, have become an enjoyable pastime. "It's fun. It's a little bit of acting, and sometimes a little bit of hidden personality comes out," says Gwen Johnson, a Walla Walla resident and guest at a weekend gathering. Across the country, mystery parties have become increasingly popular in recent years. In Solvang, California, one company charges $215 to allow a person to become a murder suspect at a resort for a weekend. Mystery parties take place on trains, in old mansions and at the homes of mystery lovers everywhere. At Digital Heros, a local game store, several shoppers come in looking for the latest games each week. The most popular is one of the oldest: Dungeons and Dragons. "I guess people are tired of the standard board game type thing," says Jeff Watson, owner of the Boyer Avenue store. Barbara Cady, who works as a secretary at Grace United Methodist Church, offers another explanation: "We don't visit very much as a society. This is just some time to get out and meet lots of people." The Cadys began writing the mystery party scripts because friends didn't always fit the characters written in store-bought parties. The couple now uses maps, history books and their own imagination to put together personalized scenarios. "We just wanted to be able to control the atmosphere in the house," says Monte Cady, who is retired. "We wanted to have good, clean fun." For parties at the Cady residence, each guest is assigned a character and sent a personality sketch in the mail. Guests are asked to show up in character--which means everything from wearing funny hats to copping a snobby attitude. Once every guest arrives, the Cadys read a scenario to the group. They're told they are part of groups such as scuba divers in Hawaii, people living in the Old West or a community during the American Revolution. Then they're told one of their group was killed and are given clues to decipher who did it. The guests go on to ask questions of each other, answering in character. After about two hours of interaction, the guests must guess who the murderer is. "If you don't find who the murderer is, it's ok. The idea is to have fun," Monte Cady says. The Cadys are now offering their mysteries to the public at about $35 each. They also custom-write mysteries for special groups; one woman recently contacted them through the Internet about writing a party for a group attending a wedding in Italy, Monte Cady said. But even if they don. t get to go to Italy to help with the party, the Cadys say their own local mysteries will keep things exciting. "You don't have to go out. You let the imagination kick in," Monte Cady says.

• November 8, 2002

  There's Nothing Like a Good Murder Mystery A Walla Walla Couple Invents a Role-Playing Mystery Game by Vicki Hillhouse of the Union-Bulletin November 8, 2002

  Another Friday night mystery unravels at the south Walla Walla home of Monte and Barbara Cady. It is 1943. The green carpet of their living room is, for the time being, the deck of a sleek passenger liner known as the Oceania. Wartime's singing sweethearts, The Andrews Sisters, are belting out "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and Barbara Cady is trying to convince the women in the room that the official uniform of the Navy Waves is not complete without paper hats. She is talking up her paper hat, which she fashioned for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. She is also trying to help them find a killer. A murderer is on board this ship. Passengers have two hours to find out who it is and save the Oceania from ultimate doom. Among the suspects: a sword-carrying matador, a Turkish man with a passion for knitting, an unpunctual admiral and an Arkansas sandwich shop owner. "Any ideas?" Monte Cady asks. These killer parties have become popular events among friends and buyers of the couple's homemade role-playing games. "It's a chance to act silly," Barbara Cady said. "It's fun." The Cadys have been churning out G-rated mystery games for the better part of the last decade. Longtime fans of the role-playing genre, they started writing their own mysteries because they often couldn't relate to the characters and scenarios packaged on store shelves. "I had a little bit of trouble sitting there and staring across the room at someone who's supposed to be my mistress," Monte Cady said. A retired banker, he markets his games on the internet at http://www.whodunnitmystries.com. He sells as many as 400 a year--some to customers as far away as England, Romania, New Zealand and Australia. The games include a sealed player packet for each character, containing roles, background on the mystery, cast of characters and tips and clues for discovering the villain and playing the game. Also included is a packet for the host, explaining how to facilitate and play. Participants are encouraged to dress up, using simple costumes. The Cadys website suggests using a paper fan and a doily on the head to turn a woman into a Spanish dancer. A trench coat can transform a player into a detective or a foreign agent. The mysteries are designed for 10 or more players and are popular with corporations, church groups and other large organizations as ice-breakers and team-building mechanisms. "It teaches you a great deal of teamwork," Barbara Cady said. About 14 different games are currently in production. Following a series of clues, participants must find the killer or jewel thief or the villain who threw the man into the penguin pool, depending on which game they play. Participants are encouraged to work up the outrageous aspects of their characters, Cady said. There are two rules: only the person who has committed the crime can lie, and nobody can refuse to answer a direct question unless the question is "Are you the killer?" Monte Cady makes up the majority of the games. "Monte's got a weird sense of humor," his wife said. "He's the one with the ideas." He uses maps, historical books and just about any other research he can get his hands on. Each mystery is tested two or three times to work out the bugs. Monte Cady is working on several new mysteries, including adventures in space, pirate ships and the early Alaskan Klondike. He's also considering writing sequels to some of his former games to see how the characters have developed. the games usually sell for around $35 plus shipping on the Internet. Monte Cady said he also receives an occasional request for a custom mystery. Some ask for Christmas-themed thrillers. A few have even inquired about wedding-based suspense stories. "I'm not so sure murder mystery is appropriate there," he said. But whether a nuptial cliffhanger or a suspense on the sea, the best part of role-playing is getting to use you imagination, he added. "It's all what you make of it," he said.

• search-institute Review

  Generators: Twenty Activities to Recharge Your Intergenerational Group by Jennifer Griffin-Wiesner, A Search Institute Publication, 615 First Avenue N.E., Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413 612-376-8955 or 800-888-7828, www.search-institute.org

  "If you're starting or already part of an intergenerational group, you know it's crucial to keep the energy high while ensuring that every group member--young or young at heart--is sharing in the fun. Whether you're organizing your company's annual picnic for the first time or coordinating a community tradition for the tenth time. look no further... In it you'll find twenty creative ideas for group activities that are suitable for people of any age..." Spotlight on Asset #19 - RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY - "One congregation has started a tradition of using mystery dinners to bring together members who might not otherwise have reason to personally connect outside of regular worship and service activities. When the guests arrive at their assigned address on the appropriate night, they sometimes find they know the hosts or other people there; and sometimes it's a chance to make a whole group of new friends! Regardless, it strengthens congregants'' personal connections, which in turn strengthens the whole community." Spotlight on Asset #28 - INTEGRITY - "Whodunnit Mystery Games is a small internet-based organization in Washington that was started by a couple who were disenchanted with role-playing mystery games that included "suggestive plots and slimy characters." They liked the idea of mystery games, but wanted stories and plotlines that were more reflective of positive values. They started developing their own games for friends and family and found a high demand for what they describe as "G-rated role-playing mystery games designed for light-hearted, wholesome entertainment for groups of 10-50 people." The criminal is the only one who knows that he or she is the villain, and is the only one who can lie; everyone else must honestly answer questions, using information provided in advance about their characters. The mystery unravels over the course of the event. The hosts are encouraged to take an active role, because even they aren't privy to the details. For more information on Whodunnit Mystery Games, visit www.whodunnitmysteries.com"

People have sent us pictures of a couple of their parties. Below are photos from their events.

• Party Photos

  Below are images people have sent us of parties they have held. Click on the thumbnails to enjoy a larger view of the images. September 2007, By D.M. of Montana We purchased your mystery game, The Fox, and our annual family get-together played this game this past September (2007) at a Victorian bed and breakfast here in Montana. We did full costume and the evening was so much fun. We weren't great actors but we had fun. Attached are a couple of photos for you. The Fox December 2006, By M.L. of North Carolina The first pix from one of the homes you provided mysteries for. Everyone had a wonderful time and loved their parts. I will definitely use your products again. Even our roaming chef enjoyed the game! I had three of your murder mysteries going in the same neighborhood last night. Everyone has reported that they had so much fun! What a relief. Thanks so much for all of your help. You were so personable and accommodating! Silver Slipper Castle Glenn

• General Feedback

  Greetings! Just wanted to let you know that we have just purchased our fourth and fifth of your Whodunnit Mysteries for our children's birthday parties. We have thoroughly enjoyed each one. The two we have ordered this time are Castle Glenn and Wagons Ho! We are looking forward to their arrival in the mail. The mysteries that we have played in the past are: Bruffey Manor - The kids loved this one. We were hooked! They sat down and looked at the list to choose the next year's mystery. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil - This was a delight as well. We weren't sure at first if the kids would like this one being so different, but they thought it was great! Unfortunately we moved after this mystery and the group of friends were so disappointed to miss out on future mysteries. We had started a tradition. What fun! Hawaiian Holiday - New location, new group of friends, but the reaction was just as great! The kids loved it and had never participated in a role playing mystery before. They wanted to do another one the next year. My girls younger brothers have watched these parties and have been anxious to host their own when they were old enough. This is their year. They can't wait to host Wagons Ho for their friends. Thanks for helping us make such wonderful memories for our family and friends. Keep them coming! We are planning to introduce our small group to one of these this fall. We have a camping weekend planned for 8 families, with a total of 16 adults and 18 children. Can't wait! Blessings, T.R. I have 10 teenagers coming on September 10th for a party. I got a teen mystery game and I am disappointed. It doesn't promote the values I have taught to my teens. I scanned the Internet for several hours yesterday and all I found was junk. My daughter just located your site. I read all about you. I like the "G" rated part.... Thank you so much, B.B. I've played the How to Host a Murder game, but my mom had to go through the booklets with the white-out first. it sounds like your games may be a better choice for next time.  T.S. We had a great game last Friday with a small group of 13 and 14 year olds from a gifted and talented class. They loved the costumes, intrigue, and brain power needed! My favorite are the messages and notes that are introduced throughout the game to keep it going. We had quite a few tangents, but the messages kept us on track. Very fun. We all want to do it again with another game! Thanks for making these G-rated, also. I had downloaded some other ones that, once read, had very dark overtones and undertones. Not comfortable with that for our group. S.L. I was very excited to find your site on the internet. My husband and I have played a lot of these kind of games, many of which were shocking as we were playing and not appropriate for our teenage kids. My kids have always wanted to play so we will be ordering some of your games...Thanks for providing good wholesome fun! The S Family

• Bruffey Manor

  We had 10 participants, all girls, ages 12-14. Game took about 1.5 hours, including the girls trying out different endings. Everyone had a good time, instructions worked well. My daughter says she would definitely have another one. Support from yourselves (the suppliers) when U.S. Post let us down was excellent, and really helped make the evening a success. D.K. Thank you for your understanding and quick response. My daughter will be so pleased. she has been able to fill just about every character spot, and her friends are excited to try out this unique party idea....Thank you too for making available such a fun and affordable new way to celebrate a wide variety of occasions. I'm sure we will be ordering again in the future. T.P. Can you help out? My 13 year old sent her player packets out to her friends and the US Post has let us down. The player packet for Robin Dixon has not been received and appears to have got lost in the post. Could you email me the page that describes the player character?...The party is scheduled for next Saturday. Thanks so very much. You are real heroes! Sunday is a lot happier now! D.K. We did purchase Bruffey Manor after speaking with you over the phone. The girls had a great time, and it was the talk of the town for the birthday party. I even made t-shirts with character pictures/names/party name on them for the girls to wear and take home for party favors.  I got all of the scripts back except...Mary Lou Desmond! The mother accidentally tossed it out after they had read through it! Would it be possible to e-mail or send me another character sheet on Mary Lou Desmond so that we can play this mystery again sometime...? Thanks so much for a fun filled evening! We'll be back to try some of your other mysteries! S. M .

• Castle Glenn

  I wanted to e-mail you and thank you for reading the part for Jack B. Nimble to our guest at our party on Saturday. We had a wonderful time and our murderer did such a good job that only 2 people of the 14 guessed it was him....We would like to be able to use this game again in the future...And we are still getting comments about our party!!! Thanks again. K.S. We played Castle Glenn...and the game was a riot, with a lot of folks from a serious profession freed up to act crazy. "My" scheme for collecting pizza royalties was a hoot, for instance... L.L. (played at a business conference) The first pix from one of the homes you provided mysteries for. Everyone had a wonderful time and loved their parts. I will definitely use your products again. Even our roaming chef enjoyed the game! I had three of your murder mysteries going in the same neighborhood last night. Everyone has reported that they had so much fun! What a relief. Thanks so much for all of your help. You were so personable and accommodating!   M.L.

• Death Leaves On Track 13

  We had a great time. Ended up with 33 players. I know that they would not sit still in spy rings, so I read everyone the intro and then let the master spies take over. I also placed a copy of the border crossing info in a central location. That way if one wanted to read the info rather than get it from the master spies, one could. Everyone was free to collaborate, but each person had to submit their own answer. I got 3 out of 33  right answers. The food was great...and despite the thunderstorms (or because of the thunderstorms) the cruise on the OH river was awesome. Thanks again for your help. E.

   
• The Fox

  Thank you very much. You've saved the day!! I'll certainly recommend you to anyone planning a similar event - the personal service sets you apart. Thanks again. M.K. We had a great game last Friday evening with a small group of 13 and 14 year olds from a gifted and talented class...they loved the costumes, intrigue and brain power needed! My favorite parts are the messages and notes that are introduced throughout the game to keep it going....we had quite a few tangents, but the messages kept us on track....very fun....we all want to do it again with another game! Thanks for making these G-rated, also. I had downloaded some other ones that, once read, had very dark overtones and undertones....not comfortable with that for our group. S.L.. - Georgia Thank you so much for making quality mystery games available. When we got The Fox, we were so impressed, and our friends were too. It was the best party I've ever had...I never realized how fun the mystery games were, until the garbage was removed and the result was pure fun. Thank you for making my party a success, and for continuing to make good, clean fun. Sincerely, A.C. We enjoyed The Fox so much that we decided to order another one of your mystery games!  J.M. in Plano Texas Note: They ordered The Queen's Jewels. We purchased your mystery game, The Fox, and our annual family get-together played this game this past September (2007) at a Victorian bed and breakfast here in Montana. We did full costume and the evening was so much fun. We weren't great actors but we had fun. Attached are a couple of photos for you.   D.M. - Montana

• Hawaiian Holiday

  We ordered this game a couple of years ago and have almost worn it out and passed it around three or four times. We had such a good time that we went to order The Silver Slipper for the party this year. Thank you for offering good, clean, wholesome fun. We look forward to he game this year and may have to make it an annual event. P.J.K.

• The Lake Washington Mystery

  I wanted to let you know how much fun my girls had playing the Lake Washington Mystery Game!  Even with their sometimes short attention spans, the girls laughed, had fun and begged to play it again after the game was done!  Thanks! S. A., Lewiston, Idaho I liked the different characters and the funny stories that went along with them. D.R., Age 9 Getting new clues throughout the game helped make it challenging to guess the villain. G.R., Age 11

• Mystery at Cattle Skull Crossing

  I recently attended a party centered around your Mystery at Cattle Skull Crossing game. It was very fun, keep up the good work! I was Sheriff Jones... Once we found out the killer, all the pieces fit perfectly (for me at least). I'm looking at doing one of these mysteries with my actor friends. Once again, great work! K.D. We played Mystery at Cattle Skull Crossing at our New Year's Eve party... and all I can say is that it was the most fun we've ever had at a party. There were 30 of us, and everyone got into the game. The costumes people came in were terrific. We had prizes for the best male and female, and it was really tough deciding who won. The 10 main characters were outstanding. We couldn't have done a better job of casting. I guess it pays to know your friends. I worried about this for weeks prior to the party. I wasn't sure if people would really "get into it". I was afraid I might have to pull questions out of people. Boy was I wrong. The party went on for 3 1/2 hours and I had to bring it to a close at 11:40 so we wouldn't miss New Years!!! Out of 30 people, only 4 guessed whodunnit. Pretty good, I'd say, Our culprit played the part well, and fooled nearly everyone. I was the coordinator, but I didn't open anyone's packets. That way I could play along too. It's the only way to go. Our friends can't wait for the next party. We're planning a Hawaiian Holiday for the Fourth of July. I've already had phone calls this morning raving about the fun everyone had. Thanks for such a great game. We love the fact that your games are G-rated. The packets were terrific and packed with clues. S.S. We ordered the Mystery at Cattle Skull Crossing for a fund raiser for our new choir robes. ...Of course, 4 people lost their parts, the buffalo stew we planned to serve didn't go over well with many of the congregation, but several people really "got into" the play. Curly's wife (she was the sheriff) said she didn't know where he picked up his costume, because he hadn't left the house that way! Clive (who is 6'4" wore a black top hat and was VERY intimidating. We had a great time, raised enough money for a few robes and now there are calls for another mystery in the spring.It was interesting how appropriate some of the parts turned out to be. Our community is made up of mostly ex-military and current governmental employees. Jerome (he refused to be called "Slash") works for the FDA. For such a mild mannered Lutheran he proved to be a surprisingly vehement outlaw....Marshall Hunsacher is a Battalion chief for the fire department and really enjoyed making speeches about hanging criminals....and of course, the school marm teaches Latin. It was fun fitting the startlingly new personas on old friends.If we do this again, we will 1) give out parts only 1 week before the play and 2) make it a potluck! B.W. Our church went on a week-long camping trip at a group camp in the Cascades and 50-60 of us played the Whodunnit Mystery at Cattle Skull Crossing. The rest of the group were spectators. What a blast. It was the premiere event of the trip. We "milked" the game for 3 nights at one to one and a half hours per night with the finale around a big campfire. Nobody correctly picked the murderer ( a good liar). Now git to writin' so's we cun hav a nu one fer nex yeer. Thanks a million....great, clean, fun entertainment. D.R. Thank you for providing a mystery game appropriate for our family reunion! J.J. in Louisiana

• Queen's Jewels

  I was the person who was worried about the Queen's Jewels party for my daughter's birthday. You were right - the party was a lot of fun - and almost everyone figured out it was....So thank you for the fun time. J.S. Thought I'd let you know that our Mystery Party (The Queens Jewels) was a success and enjoyed by adults and children alike (we had four families with children down to 9 years old). the man who played the fireman went to the local firehouse to get a red plastic hat...when the firemen found out why he needed it, they took him downstairs and outfitted him with a whole reserve fireman's uniform. The Doctor put on an amusing trick flea act for us.. Thanks for your work and for a family-friendly game! We'll be back! J.H. Thanks very much for your help and understanding! We loved playing the game The Queen's Jewels - I guess that's obvious, since my younger daughter insisted on having it for her party too. Thank you for making it playable with all girls - the first time it was all 13-14 year-old girls, and this time it will be 11-12 year-olds, and at this point none of them want any part of having boys at their parties. (It's amazing that all of the other mystery games I found for that age group require both genders, to the point where characters are actually supposed to be dating each other - can't do THOSE with all girls without everyone being really uncomfortable.) Do you write these yourselves? If so, please keep it up! More stories for young teenage girls, please, so we have something to do for NEXT year's parties (since this year is going to be hard to top)... Nancy P. Thank you for the wonderful game!!!!My students had a ball. God Bless C.M. (played at a Catholic School) The event was a huge success....we all had a lot of fun, and appreciate the "clean-ness" of your games. When we get the pictures developed, we'll e-mail you a few--the costumes were great!... T.H. (played at a Christian fraternity in Calif.)

• See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

  ...This was a delight as well. We weren't sure at first if the kids would like this one being so different, but they thought it was great! Unfortunately we moved after this mystery and the group of friends were so disappointed to miss out on future mysteries. We had started a tradition. What fun!...

• Silver Slipper

  We want you to know how much we enjoyed your game the Silver Slipper. We played it at our managers retreat this weekend and although this was our first time playing a game like this, it was fantastic! Everyone had a great time and had a fun time getting into character. We will definitely be doing it again. Many are interested in ordering a game to play with their friends and families. I have given them your order form and game list. Thanks. P.H. I purchased the Silver Slipper for 11-20 players quite some time ago. We had so much fun with it. I got the game out today in the hope of playing it with a group soon. I am missing the coroner's report and some memory joggers, and the maps that many players are suppose to have. May I purchase copies of these papers? J.H. Note: The replacements were sent out for J. H. I bought the Silver Slipper game in 2000 for a company team building event and it was good. I now want to use it for a church dinner, but am missing the Slash Jackson part....Is it possible to to get a replacement copy?....Everyone is so excited to play and we are already gathering decorations for our western theme chuck wagon dinner and mystery. Note: The replacements were sent out for K.S. K.S. For the team event we had three different locations across the US. We played this via conference call! We assigned people in different locations the parts, so they were spread out. We added a part of 'circuit judge' who acted as the moderator, so everyone could hear all the questions and answers. We also had a coordinator in each location to hand and gather voting ballots we created for picking the murderer. Each team had a BBQ lunch before or after (depending on the time zone), and we had a casual day s people could come dressed western themed. We had t-shirts made up to commemorate the event--and had them rolled up and tied with bandanas. Definitely a fun time! Thanks again. K.S. The first pix from one of the homes you provided mysteries for. Everyone had a wonderful time and loved their parts. I will definitely use your products again. Even our roaming chef enjoyed the game! I had three of your murder mysteries going in the same neighborhood last night. Everyone has reported that they had so much fun! What a relief. Thanks so much for all of your help. You were so personable and accommodating!   M.L

• Shampoo High Girl Mysteries

  Shampoo High Girl Mysteries Shampoo High Girls at Camp Run-a-Muck We purchased Shampoo High Girls at Camp Run-a-Muck last year and enjoyed it. We're looking forward to another Shampoo High Mystery. K.S. A few years back I wanted a mystery party for my birthday. Like many others, I wanted a clean one and couldn't find it. I also wanted an "all girls" party if possible. After finding your site, I decided on Shampoo High Girls at Camp Run-a-Muck. It was a BLAST! We had a "registration table", where everyone got their name tags, schedule, and a "Survival Kit" (canvas goody bag w/water bottle, granola bar, whistle, etc.). We decorated our kitchen as a cafeteria, and put each "cabin" in a different corner of the room. Because of this, a good deal of rivalry broke out between cabin members! It rained the day of the party, but it just made the camp theme all the better. By the way, I'm looking forward to getting Shampoo High's sequel! S.K. We bought this game for our daughter's birthday last year and would like to order another game for this year. The girls would not stop playing the game and asking each other questions for almost 3 hours. It was a howling success. What would you suggest for this year? K.O. Shampoo High Girls at the Fair I just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed the mystery game....I had 10 girls (11 years old). I sat with them and helped them with questions and moved things along when they didn't know what to ask next....They especially enjoyed the ending about what each character ended up doing. C.H. I had a mystery party for my 13th birthday...and we played the Shampoo High Girls at the Fair. We had a blast!  Thanks. K. I ended up ordering the other Shampoo girls game. The girls decided that looked the best, and because we had such a great success with the first one, we thought it was better to stick with what you know. Maybe next year we will try the Lucky Pooch Choker one. M.R.

• Wagons Ho!

  We played the game Wagons Ho! on Sunday night. The kids loved it and it seemed to flow very well. We ran into a few problems where they made poor choices and had to backtrack. We didn't have quite 20 people, so some doubled up on the parts. We didn't notice any obvious errors in the game. I think everyone enjoyed the story. The different endings make for a fun time. If there is anything else I can relate to you please don't hesitate. Overall, we give it a great rating. Sincerely, A.W.